Magritte-Inspired Landscapes

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

I am so grateful to be included in the 15 Squared Art Show currently on view at The Barefoot Spa.  The premise is to feature 15 local artists with 15 artworks each, but there’s a catch!  Each artist must create artwork in four categories – anatomy, landscapes, the 1970’s and artist choice (no abstracts) – thus upping the game and adding a challenge to the typical art show routine.

I definitely felt challenged by the landscapes category as I have never painted a “traditional” landscape.  Any landscape I have painted in the past was purely an experiment or would have been labeled as cartoonish.  This time around, I wanted to push myself and still stay true to who I am as a person and as an artist.  I decided to paint landscapes inspired by the work of Rene Magritte and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

I followed Magritte’s format of painting enlarged ordinary objects into a bright blue sky.  For my objects I chose a few of Magritte’s repeated symbols – a green apple, a bowler hat and a door.  Since the titles of his paintings were just as important, I followed Magritte’s lead and similarly named my paintings with extra thought and care.

The paintings attached to this post are as follows, from left to right…

This is Not a Bowler Hat, acrylic on canvas, 8”x8”

The Predictable Question, acrylic on canvas, 8”x10”

The Son of Adam, acrylic on canvas, 8”x8”

 

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.